Actually not so amazing at all. I can readily recall at least four or fi ve other high quality British machines of this precise year in this condition , right down to all of the receipts, tools etc. on eBay over the past say three years or so.
Why? 1937-38 seems to be the first year British complete machines were imported into the USA and certainly when the first Raleighs were. All vi a New England distributers. Not a great time to import what were breathtakingly expensive bikes with the second Depression just setting in.
And when cycling in the USA was well, the perserve of boys delivering newspapers and tweedy weirdos, the later being Raleigh's main market then methinks! So maybe these bikes were bought as curiousities and just tucked
away in the cellar. That explains both the condition, the fact little if
anything was altered or changed and all of the bits and receipts, too, wer e saved. You'd never ever find British bikes of this era in this condition in the UK where they were ridden to death.
But an exceptional example of the classic pre-war British club racer.. .at a very fair price indeed. If you don't think so, try sourcing the bits for
this at the prevailing sterling/dollar exchange and find out!
Now.. will the new owner actually dare the ride the thing?!
Peter Kohler Washington DC USA
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